Facebook ads are a great way to engage with new customers or fans for your business. They can also help you increase your leads and/or sales if done correctly. Read our 7 Dos and Don’ts of Facebook Ads to get your business off to a great start in 2017.
Dos
- Target the right people – One of the beauties of Facebook advertising is that you can choose, very specifically, who you advertise to. Make sure you are targeting your ads to the right people by selecting the demographics, location, interests, and behaviors of your desired audience. You should also use the Facebook pixel to generate custom audiences and lookalike audiences to drive your ads to customers who will likely be interested in your dealership.
- Spend at least $150 a month – The amount of money you spend on Facebook will have a direct correlation with your ad performance. Facebook ads charge you either by click, impression, or conversion, and the cost of each is very low in comparison to other online advertising platforms (Google, Bing, Yellow Pages, etc.). We generally recommend a budget of $300/month to advertise your dealership name, as well as featured units or events.
- Use different ad formats – Facebook offers several types of ads that all aim to achieve different results. Some ads are meant to gain page likes or drive website traffic, while others look to generate leads or conversions. Strategize your goals ahead of time so you can choose the rights type of ads for your dealership.
- Create eye-catching headlines – Like any form of advertising, you must catch the attention of your audience, starting with a headline. Your headline should be unique and enticing, leading with the most important information first. Using emojis, caps lock, and punctuation can also help you emphasize the purpose of your ad.
- Use good photos – The first thing anyone sees when they scroll through Facebook or Instagram are the photos. Having good quality, vibrant photos will immediately get someone interested in your ad. However, make sure you follow Facebook’s photo guidelines so you don’t violate any policies that may get your ads disapproved or limit their performance.
- Include CTA’s and links – The purpose of any advertisement is to drive action. Whether you are advertising an upcoming event, a new RV in stock, or just your dealership as a whole, make sure you are providing a Call-To-Action to drive people toward a specific action. For example, if your goal is to get more people to your website, be sure to include a specific link in the ad to the landing page you want your users to see.
- Analyze your results – Another great feature of Facebook is the ability to see your page insights and ad results almost immediately. Instead of randomly putting out new ads on a weekly or daily basis, take a long, hard look at the ads you’ve already tried to see what worked and what didn’t. Test out different audiences, photos, and ad text to see what’s giving you the best bang for your buck.
Don’ts
- Advertise to everyone – While Facebook ads can increase your reach and audience, you don’t want to waste your money showing your advertisement to people who won’t care. Use Facebook’s targeting tools to create an audience that best matches your current or desired audience. Advertising to people who are not at all interested in your products or business could lead to annoyed users and negative comments.
- Target too small of a group – That being said, the ideal size of a Facebook audience is anywhere between 250,000 (for a local campaign) to 3 million (for a nationwide campaign). Narrowing your audience too far will limit your reach and could prevent you from growing your business and fan base. You may also find yourself not spending all of your intended marketing budget because Facebook won’t have a large enough audience to advertise to.
- Be repetitive or predictable – Posting the same advertisement over and over again will undoubtedly annoy people and make them lose interest in your business. Vary the pictures, text, and type of ads you post to keep your fans engaged, and attract new fans to your page. Repetitive advertisements will start to feel like spam and you may find yourself having more “unfollows” than “follows” at the end of your campaigns.
- Post every unit you have – Just because you have an RV on the lot, doesn’t mean you are required to advertise it. You either want to advertise your best-selling or best-looking units, or any units that you really want to push off the lot. Many times, dealers try to advertise units that look worn down or do not have quality photos. These kind of ads will reflect poorly on your overall brand image and could deter people from visiting your dealership.
- Sound too “salesy” – Beware of the overly-salesy post. We’ve all seen those car commercials where the owner yells at you for 90 seconds straight? That same advertising style can be seen in a lot of Facebook advertisements. Repeating phrases such as “Buy, Buy, Buy” or using too much caps lock or exclamation points will make you come off as cheesy or annoying.
- Forget the details – Know your audience and what they want to see. Some dealers like to post prices for their units, while others do not. Some people care about GVWR, while others or more concerned about sleeping space or exterior features. Try to give your audience a good variety and depth of information, without making the post look too busy. After all, the goal is to drive them to call or visit your website where they can get all the information they need.
- Copy your competitors – Pay attention to your competition, but don’t try to mimic exactly what they do. You want your ads to stand out, so make sure to include elements that distinguish you from the rest. Identify your Unique Selling Position (USP) and let people know why they should choose your dealership. Whether you have the lowest prices, best quality, or most RVs in the state, give people a reason to click on your ad.
If you’re new to Facebook ads, or just need some help getting started, contact our experts at NetSource Media to help you take your business to the next level. Visit our website today or call 800-709-3240 to speak with a social media representative.
